Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye were in Portsmouth Friday for a dinner with friends. Huntsman said the visit was not a business trip. The couple said they wanted to reconnect with supporters from 2012.

Huntsman made national headlines this week by saying it’s time for conservatives to embrace same-sex marriage.

“It speaks to equality under the law, which was an old Abraham Lincoln worldview -- that’s what he stood for back in the 1860s when this nation was divided,” Huntsman said. “It also speaks to strong and lasting relationships among people who love each other, and that is something we all ought to be promoting.”

Huntsman said he understands his presence in the Granite State stirs up talk of 2016.

“You always run the risk whenever you set foot in this great state of people speculating about politics, but you know what? Friendships are a lot more enduring than just politics,” Huntsman said. “We’ve got some great friends here.”

Huntsman and his wife said friendship was the sole purpose of their visit to Portsmouth, where they attended a private dinner at the harbor-side condo of one of the governor’s top supporters from 2012.

That race, in which Huntsman garnered nearly 42,000 votes and won a handful of small towns, represented the high point of his campaign for the White House.

“For us, whether we ever get involved in politics or not, this was one of the most memorable things of our lives, and we’re most grateful for the process and the people of New Hampshire for making it possible.

Huntsman also commented on the upcoming budget sequester, saying the process Washington is involved in is not helpful for quality growth and economic planning.